Transitioning from a student to a nurse

roser13, ASN, RN · Mar 17, 2016

Easy? Never. If it seems easy, you're definitely missing something.

Nor should it be easy. Nursing school is hard but it only prepares you to establish minimum competency with the NCLEX. The next 1-5 years are all about furthering your nursing education.

Work hard. Keep your eyes and ears open to observe/perform new tasks & procedures, just like when you're a nursing student. Volunteer to help your peers. Ask for help when you need it. Ask questions when you don't know the answers.

Above all, stay out of gossipy situations. Be friendly to everyone, even the COB's who seem eager to eat their young. Kill them with kindness. Don't confide in anyone until you truly know the lay of the land in a year or so.

Ard123 · Mar 18, 2016

Thanks for your post, its A Good question . My 2 cents is this: like any other job, Your career and satisfaction will heavily depend on your drive/committment (how bad you want to succeed), habits (how willing you are to learn and change in a healthy and balanced way), and self esteem (how much you think you are worth). Make sure you get a preceptor/coworker/supervisor who is vested in developing your skills, proactively learn and practice your skills , and take care of yourself after work. The last part is important. If you do not balance your life, this profession will reduce your quality of living. Lastly, be assertive. Its very easy to get persuaded by your peers/superiors to underpay you, overwork you , or give you tasks that will infringe on your license . Know yourself and your scope of practice . Good luck

elppaym, BSN, MSN, RN, APRN · Mar 19, 2016

Very good advice posted so far, take note of it.

It's going to be hard, it's not going to be exactly like they taught you in school.

Is there a way to make it easy?

Stay motivated, staying on point and learning as much as you can. Make every opportunity to learn and even if you think you know it, listen and you may find you learn a little more about it.

Good luck!

INN_777, BSN, RN · Mar 20, 2016

Easy? Hell no! But doable with motivation, perseverance, diligence and, preferably, good support system.

Fmeade · Mar 24, 2016

I agree with the previous posts. When I first started as a nurse, a more seasoned nurse told me that in a year I would not recognize the "old me". She was right. With time, the confidence that comes with experience and not out of the books and clinicals is wonderful.